1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, claiming the national championship after a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied itself as a "junior" version of the Rose Bowl as it pitted the Big West Conference champion vs. the Mid-American Conference champion.
Rule changes
- Continuing the trend of liberalizing blocking rules, offensive linemen now are allowed to use extended arms with open hands.
- The head coach or captain may request a conference with the referee if the coach feels the rules were misinterpreted or misapplied. If the referee is correct, the requesting team will be charged with a timeout.
- Players blocked into a kicked ball inbounds will not be considered to have touched the kick.
- Holding penalty is reduced to 10 yards.
- During a field goal/PAT attempt, players are not allowed to stand, step, or jump on a teammate or opponent or place a hand on or be picked up by a teammate to block the kick.
Conference and program changes
- This was the final season in which the Ivy League, Southern Conference, and Southland Conference competed in Division I-A; the leagues were lowered to Division I-AA for 1982. Through the 2017 season, the Ivy League has yet to participate in the post-season tournament, despite an automatic bid, citing academic concerns.
- This season the total number of teams in Division 1-A decreased from 138 to 137 due to the loss of Villanova, who dropped their football program following the 1980 season. Villanova restored football in 1985 at the I-AA level.
School | 1980 Conference | 1981 Conference |
Illinois State Redbirds | D-I Independent | Missouri Valley |
Villanova Wildcats | I-A Independent | Dropped Program -- Reinstated in 1985 |
September
The pre season top 5 was 1. Michigan, 2. Oklahoma, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Alabama, and 5. USC. On September 5, Alabama beat LSU 24–7 and moved up to #2 in the new poll that was 1. Michigan, 2. Alabama, 3, Oklahoma, 4. Notre Dame, and 5. USC. Clemson was not ranked.On September 12, #1 Michigan opened its season in Madison and lost to Wisconsin, 21-14. #2 Alabama lost in Birmingham to Georgia Tech, 24–21. By beating LSU 27-9, Notre Dame leapfrogged Oklahoma, who beat Wyoming 37–20, into the #1 spot. #4 USC beat Tennessee 43–7 so they also vaulted over Oklahoma to #2. Georgia at #4 and Penn State at #5 replace Michigan and Alabama in the top 5.
On September 19, #1 Notre Dame lost at #11 Michigan 25–7. #4 Georgia lost at unranked Clemson, 13–3. Thus, USC moved up to #1, Oklahoma #2, Penn State #3, Texas joined the top five at #4, and Pittsburgh moved up to #5.
On September 26 in a 1 vs. 2 showdown in Los Angeles, USC scored in the final seconds to nip Oklahoma, 28–24. Thus, Oklahoma slipped to #5 while Penn State, Texas and Pittsburgh were number 2, 3, and 4.
October
On October 3, Oklahoma, still stung by its last second loss to USC, was shocked at home in a 7–7 tie with Iowa State. North Carolina moved up to replace Oklahoma at #5 in the next poll.On October 10, #1 USC was upset by Arizona, 13–10. #3 Texas beat #10 Oklahoma 34–14 and jumped over Penn State into the #1 spot. Michigan returned to the top 5 in the new poll that was: 1. Texas, 2. Penn State, 3. Pittsburgh, 4. North Carolina, and 5. Michigan.
On October 17, #1 Texas was steamrolled by Arkansas 42–11. #5 Michigan lost at Iowa 9–7 in the game that ultimately decided the Big 10's Rose Bowl berth. Clemson and USC replaced Texas and Michigan in the new top 5 that was: 1. Penn State, 2. Pittsburgh, 3. North Carolina, 4. Clemson, and 5. USC.
The big game on October 24 was between ACC rivals #3 North Carolina and #4 Clemson in Chapel Hill. Clemson won 10–8 to move up to #3, and Georgia replaced North Carolina in the top 5.
On October 31, #1 Penn State was upset by unranked Miami 17–14 and fell to #6. Texas re-emerged in the top 5 that was: 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Clemson, 3. USC, 4. Georgia, and 5. Texas.
November
On November 7, #5 Texas was tied by Houston 14–14 and was replaced by Penn State at #5. The rest of the top 5 was unchanged.On November 14, #3 USC lost to Washington, 13–3 and #5 Penn State was knocked off by Alabama, 31–16. The new poll was 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Clemson, 3. Georgia, 4. Alabama, and 5. Nebraska.
On November 21, USC blocked a last second field goal attempt to beat UCLA 22-21 and knock the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl and put Washington in.
The poll would remain unchanged until games of November 28, when Penn State beat #1 Pitt 48–14. Also on that day, Alabama coach Bear Bryant won his 315th game when the Crimson Tide defeated archrival Auburn 28-17 at Legion Field in Birmingham, setting a new NCAA Division I record for coaching victories. The record was previously held by Amos Alonzo Stagg.
The final regular season poll was 1. Clemson, 2. Georgia, 3. Alabama, 4. Nebraska, and 5. SMU.
Important game
's match-up with North Carolina proved to be the landmark game of the season and a huge turning point for the ACC. This game which Clemson won 10–8 marked the first time two ACC teams met while ranked in the top 10. ABC broadcast this game live nationally, a huge bit of exposure for what was usually known as a basketball conference. The game ended with Jeff Bryant recovering a lateral with a minute left.Conference standings
Notable rivalry games
- #4 Alabama 28, Auburn 17
- Ohio State 14, #7 Michigan 9
- #5 Nebraska 37, Oklahoma 14
- #5 USC 14, Notre Dame 7
- #10 USC 22, #15 UCLA 21
- #11 Penn State 48, #1 Pitt 14
- #3 Texas 34, #10 Oklahoma 14
- #7 Texas 21, Texas A&M 13
Consensus All-Americans
Offense
- QB – Jim McMahon – Brigham Young
- RB – Marcus Allen – Southern California
- RB – Herschel Walker – Georgia
- WR – Anthony Carter – Michigan
- TE – Tim Wrightman – UCLA
- L – Sean Farrell – Penn State
- L – Roy Foster – Southern California
- L – Terry Crouch – Oklahoma
- L – Ed Muransky – Michigan
- L – Terry Tausch – Texas
- L – Kurt Becker – Michigan
- C – Dave Rimington – Nebraska
Defense
- L – Billy Ray Smith – Arkansas
- L – Kenneth Sims – Texas
- L – Andre Tippett – Iowa
- L – Tim Krumrie – Wisconsin
- LB – Bob Crable – Notre Dame
- LB – Jeff Davis – Clemson
- LB – Sal Sunseri – Pittsburgh
- DB – Tommy Wilcox – Alabama
- DB – Mike Richardson – Arizona State
- DB – Terry Kinard – Clemson
- DB – Fred Marion – Miami
- P – Reggie Roby – Iowa
#1 and #2 progress
Bowl games
- Rose: #12 Washington 28, #13 Iowa 0
- Cotton: #6 Texas 14, #3 Alabama 12
- Fiesta: #7 Penn State 26, #8 USC 10
- Orange: #1 Clemson 22, #4 Nebraska 15
- Sugar: #10 Pittsburgh 24, #2 Georgia 20
- Peach: West Virginia 26, Florida 6
- Hall of Fame: Mississippi State 10, Kansas 0
- Bluebonnet: #16 Michigan 33, #19 UCLA 14
- Liberty: #15 Ohio State 31, Navy 28
- Gator: #11 North Carolina 31, Arkansas 27
- Sun: Oklahoma 40, Houston 14
- California: Toledo 27, San Jose State 25
- Tangerine: Missouri 19, #18 Southern Mississippi 17
- Holiday: #14 Brigham Young 38, #20 Washington State 36
- Garden State: Tennessee 28, Wisconsin 21
- Independence: Texas A&M 33, Oklahoma State 16
Orange Bowl
Entering the game, the top four teams in order were Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, and Nebraska. After Georgia and Alabama had lost in Sugar and Cotton Bowls respectively, the Orange Bowl was for the national championship. The final score was 22–15, in favor of Clemson.
Pittsburgh, which was the consensus number one until being beaten soundly by Penn State in their season finale, beat defending national champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Also in the national title hunt till the very end, Alabama lost to number six Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Kenneth Sims of Texas was the first pick overall in the 1982 NFL Draft and was the winner of the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman.
Southern Methodist won the Southwest Conference and was ranked fifth, but was ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA probation, but could have still qualified for the national title.
Final AP Poll
- Clemson
- Texas
- Penn State
- Pittsburgh
- Southern Methodist
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Miami
- North Carolina
- Washington
- Nebraska
- Michigan
- Brigham Young
- Southern California
- Ohio State
- Arizona State
- West Virginia
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
Heisman Trophy
- Marcus Allen – TB, USC, 1,797 points
- Herschel Walker – TB, Georgia, 1,199
- Jim McMahon – QB, BYU, 706
- Dan Marino – QB, Pittsburgh, 256
- Art Schlichter – QB, Ohio State, 149
- Darrin Nelson – RB, Stanford, 148
- Anthony Carter – WR, Michigan, 42
- Kenneth Sims – DL, Texas, 34
- Reggie Collier – QB, Southern Miss, 30
- Rich Diana – RB, Yale, 23